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Ever seen Marilyn Monroe riding a Penny Farthing? Look at some of these wacko pictures of ladies on this strange bike

To be honest, “penny farthing”  makes me feel dizzy just by looking at the photo of it, but the daredevils of the yesteryear were not afraid to do so.  There is something weird and beautiful about these huge wheeled bicycles that makes you think of  how much fun these guys had riding  the funny looking high wheel.

The penny-farthing, also known as a high wheel, high wheeler and ordinary, is a type of bicycle with a large front wheel and a much smaller rear wheel. It was popular after the boneshaker until the development of the safety bicycle in the 1880s. It was the first machine to be called a “bicycle.”

Although the name “penny-farthing” is now the most common, it was probably not used until the machines were nearly outdated; the first recorded print reference is from 1891 in Bicycling News. It comes from the British penny and farthing coins, one much larger than the other so that the side view resembles a penny leading a farthing. For most of their reign, they were simply known as “bicycles”. In the late 1890s, the name “ordinary” began to be used, to distinguish them from the emerging safety bicycles; this term and “hi-wheel” (and variants) are preferred by many modern enthusiasts.

 

 

A woman riding a classic penny farthing bicycle, Toronto, 1930
A woman riding a classic penny farthing bicycle, Toronto, 1930

 

 

Bathing ladies on a penny farthing, ca. 1930s
Bathing ladies on a penny farthing, ca. 1930s

 

Bicycle racer Elsa von Blumen on her penny farthing
Bicycle racer Elsa von Blumen on her penny farthing

In 1869, Eugène Meyer, a Frenchman, invented the High-Bicycle design and fashioned the wire-spoke tension wheel. Around 1870, English inventor James Starley, described as the father of the bicycle industry, and others, began producing bicycles based on the French boneshaker but with front wheels of increasing size, because larger front wheels, up to 1.5 m (60 in) in diameter, enabled higher speeds on bicycles limited to direct drive.In 1878, Albert Pope began manufacturing the Columbia bicycle outside of Boston, starting their two-decade heyday in America.

 

Frances Pidgeon on a penny farthing bike, 1956
Frances Pidgeon on a penny farthing bike, 1956

 

Grace Bradley on her penny farthing
Grace Bradley on her penny farthing

 

Grace Bradley rides on a penny farthing bike
Grace Bradley rides on a penny farthing bike

The well-known dangers of the penny-farthing were, for the time of its prominence, outweighed by its strengths. While it was a difficult, dangerous machine, it was simpler, lighter, and faster than the safer velocipedes of the time. Two new developments changed this situation, and led to the rise of the safety bicycle. The first was the chain drive, originally used on tricycles, allowing a gear ratio to be chosen independent of the wheel size. The second was the pneumatic bicycle tire, allowing smaller wheels to provide a smooth ride.

The nephew of one of the men responsible for popularity of the penny-farthing was largely responsible for its demise. James Starley had built the Ariel (spirit of the air) high-wheeler in 1870; but this was a time of innovation, and when chain drives were upgraded so that each link had a small roller, higher and higher speeds became possible without the large wheel. In 1885, Starley’s nephew John Kemp Starley took these new developments to launch the Rover Safety Bicycle, so-called because the rider, seated much lower and farther behind the front wheel contact point, was less prone to a header.

Lynne Carver riding a penny farthing bike while Jo Ann Sayers walking with a bike
Lynne Carver riding a penny farthing bike while Jo Ann Sayers walking with a bike

 

Marilyn Monroe on a penny farthing bike, 1949
Marilyn Monroe on a penny farthing bike, 1949

 

Riding a penny farthing in a skirt and heels, 1930
Riding a penny farthing in a skirt and heels, 1930

 

Riding a penny farthing in Hollywood, 1927
Riding a penny farthing in Hollywood, 1927

 

Woman riding a penny farthing, 1949
Woman riding a penny farthing, 1949

 

Woman riding a penny farthing, ca. 1890s
Woman riding a penny farthing, ca. 1890s

Source: Vintage Everyday

Ian Smith

Ian Smith is one of the authors writing for The Vintage News